iPhones with TikTok installed listed on eBay for $1 million amid ban – despite being restored 12 hours later

The US TikTok ban sent users into a frenzy, with influencers urging followers to stay connected through other platforms including Instagram. Some even shared some of their deepest confessions – only to potentially regret it a mere 12 hours later when the ban was lifted.

TikTok initially went dark on Sunday (19 January) in response to a federal ban by the Supreme Court which required parent company ByteDance to sell its US version of the social media due to national security concerns over TikTok's links to China – despite TikTok's repeated denials that it shares information with the country.

During the short-lived outage, bizarre eBay listings started cropping up with iPhones listed in the thousands of dollars range. One iPhone 6s Max was even listed at a staggering $1 million. They weren't rare or limited edition models – in fact, they ran on older iOS software with TikTok still downloaded and said to be fully working.

Over on X/Twitter, users were calling out the extremities with one writing: "Lmao people selling their iphones on ebay for 10k bc it has the TikTok app on it. Since it isn’t available on the app store right now."

Another optimistic user said: "If you deleted TikTok I’m selling one of my iPhones 16 WITH TIKTOK INSTALLED: $5000."

It comes after Donald Trump attempted to negotiate a possible TikTok sale on live television, which took over a $500bn (£405bn) announcement about an AI infrastructure investment.

Trump said he was "open" to Elon Musk purchasing the app, suggesting: "I would be, if he wanted to buy it. I'd like Larry [Ellison] to buy it too."

He continued: "I have the right to make a deal, the deal I'm thinking about, Larry let's negotiate in front of the media.

"The deal I think is this. I've met with the owners of TikTok, the big owners, it's worthless if it doesn't get a permit... with a permit it's worth like a trillion dollars.

"What I'm thinking of saying to someone is buy it and give half to the US, half, and we'll give you a permit... the US will be the ultimate partner and the US will make it very worthwhile for them."

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